How to spot a Stradivarius - Challenge your musical ear

As the Ashmolean in Oxford opens its Stradivarius exhibition, the Telegraph arranged for a young musician to play the fabled Serdet - an original Stradivarius from 1666, her own 18th century instrument and a £39.99 violin from Tesco.

But are you able to choose which is the more illustrious, based purely on the sound each instrument produces?

With the help of Oxford University music graduate Cecilia Stinton, The Telegraph put this idea to the test, and to complicate the challenge further we've included the cheapest brand of new violin currently available in the UK, costing under £40 and available from high street retailers like Tesco and Argos.

Listen to Cecilia play Fritz Kreisler's 'Praeludium und Allegro on each violin and find out if you can tell the difference.